CO Reports: Heat Limits Hunting, Fishing Success – Brainerd Dispatch

CO (Environmental Protection Officer) Tony Flerlage (Crosby) checked anglers on area lakes and the Mississippi River. Monitored ATV use on the Miller/Black Bear Trail. The small game and bow deer hunting season got off to a slow start as warm weather kept few hunters outside.

CO Luke Belgard (Pine River) last week I worked on enforcement of the Game, Waterfowl and ATV regulations. Game hunters were welcomed into the woods for a warm weekend. They had some success. Time was spent monitoring local public access areas for AIS activity and violations.

CO Jim Guida (Brainerd #2) patrolled the trails in the area for ATV activity. Guida worked with the Wildlife Section to deal with a nuisance bear. Deer possession tags were issued. Guida also assisted a group of use-of-force instructors in training at Camp Ripley.

Coordinator Calie Cook (Crosslake) spent time checking in with anglers, hunters and ATV drivers throughout the week. Cook also attended training at Camp Ripley.

CO Matthew Brodin (Brainerd #1) He fielded calls about bears damaging farmers’ corn. He spent time patrolling the Paul Bunyan and Foothills State Forests for ATV activity and enforcing small game regulations.

Colorado Chelsey Best (Pequot Lakes) spent the week checking on hunters and ATV operators. Nuisance animals and commercial investigations were also addressed. Enforcement actions were taken for no helmets, no trail pass and no highway maintenance.

CO Andrew Ladzinski (Bemidji #1) spent time following up on nuisance animal reports and various camping violations. He also answered questions about public lands access issues.

CO Andrew Goodman (Perham) reports a quiet start to the goose season and a slow start to the archery deer season, while hot, bug-infested weather continues. During the week, many calls were received regarding wildlife and general hunting questions. Additional time was spent patrolling area fishing lakes and enforcing off-highway vehicle regulations.

CO Jake Swedberg (Detroit Lakes) last week they worked with COC (Conservation Officer Candidate) Oberg. They spent time patrolling area lakes for fishing activity, checking bear baits and preparing for the opening of small game season. The warm weather apparently affected fishing conditions as most anglers had trouble landing a fish. Swedberg also answered questions about the upcoming hunting and nuisance animal seasons.

CO Jordan Anderson (Osage) I worked on different activities during the week, with several different hunting seasons open. We met a lot of ATV riders over the weekend, and the ATV safety class included a discussion about law and ethics.

Coach Brady Manteufel (Bagley) reports continued throughout the week with bear calls. Some successful goose and small game hunters were checked. Property checks were conducted on public lands, and deer feeding was investigated. Assistance was provided to other agencies throughout the week, and enforcement action was taken against a hunter who shot a hawk.

Commander Jamus Veit (Bemidji #2) hunters were checked out for grouse and squirrels, wild rice harvesting on Upper Rice Lake, and ATV activity throughout the week. Many wild rice harvesters had success during the week on Upper Rice Lake. Time was also spent talking to students about hunting laws and ethics during firearms safety classes. Enforcement action was taken for unlicensed wild rice harvesting and minors without a helmet on a Class 2 ATV.

CO Michael Cross (Lake George) reports working big and small game hunting, as well as checking anglers and off-road vehicle drivers. Fall activity is starting to heat up, and Cross reports seeing a lot of people out in the field getting ready for the fall season. Calls for service have been answered, and pending cases have been investigated and closed.

CO Corey Sura (Remer) monitored ATV activity and responded to reports of nuisance bears.

WHAT Adam Seifermann (Staples) reports a slow start to small game hunting. Warm weather made it difficult for hunters to succeed. Seifermann reports checking hunters targeting deer, grouse and squirrel. Enforcement action taken for numerous ATV violations.

WHAT Jacque Johnson (Longville) Fishing and hunting activities were checked. Enforcement actions were taken for various ATV violations.

Trade Commissioner Landyn Saewert (Wadena) spent time conducting local taxidermy inspections. Time was also spent enforcing ATV regulations. ATV activity slowed. An ATV Safety Education class was presented with approximately 40 students. A small number of bowhunters were observed hunting as temperatures hovered around 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

CO Patrick McGowan (Walker) patrolled Leech Lake and other Cass County lakes throughout the week. Fishing pressure increased, with most anglers reporting slow bites for bass. McGowan also continued field training of a new conservation officer, and assistance was provided to local law enforcement. Enforcement actions were taken for numerous fishing and boating violations.

CO Gregory Verkuilen (Garrison) checked on hunters on opening weekend and addressed Wildlife Management Area violations. The continued warm weather has resulted in some recreation on the lake, but boats and docks have also started to come out for the year. Verkuilen also spoke with taxidermists and performed maintenance on equipment.

CO Victoria Griffith (Island) spent time checking on small game hunters, bear hunters, ATV drivers and fishing activity on Mille Lacs Lake. Enforcement action was taken for bear registration and other bear baiting violations. ATV violations were also addressed. Reminder to review ATV, fishing and hunting regulations before heading out.

CO Joseph Scholz (Malmo) patrolled for small game and bear hunting. A few grouse hunters had success, but the dense vegetation made hunting and navigating the forest difficult for most. Grouse calls were mostly adult birds from last year and very few young birds from this spring. Enforcement action was taken for carrying loaded firearms in motor vehicles and youth on ATVs without helmets. With waterfowl season soon to begin, remember that preparing your boat for ducks includes making sure all safety equipment is on board and working.

CO Nate Benkofske (McGregor) checked bear and small game hunters. He attended a Minnesota Trappers Association meeting for a question-and-answer session. Benkofske also assisted local law enforcement with emergency calls.

CO Dan Starr (Onamia) anglers were checked and cooperative panfish were found. Bear activity was very slow. ATV activity included violations for unregistered ATV, youth without helmets, lack of safety training and riding on the road. Opening season for capercaillie resulted in a few people being found out but very little harvest.

Coordinator Ashley Whiteoak (Aitkin) spent time patrolling fishing and riding quad bikes. She also checked bears, archers hunting deer and small game. She worked opening archers hunting deer and small game. Grouse hunters reported having difficulty shooting because of the dense foliage on the trees, but some hunters still had success.

Commander Stephen Westby (Little Falls) patrolled the lakes and rivers in the area for boating, fishing and hunting. He spent time at Camp Ripley instructing in the use of force during the annual service. Westby located several small game hunters and spoke with bowhunters at Camp Ripley. For more information, visit the iSportsman webpage on archery hunting at Camp Ripley, as there have been some major changes from previous years.

CO Caleb Silgjord (Sauk Center) He attended Trappers College for a full week.

CO Adam Stennett (Annandale) attended annual training and local firearms safety classes. Received calls regarding injured animals. Investigated a TIP report regarding a possible overage of perch and sun perch on Clearwater Lake. Investigated a TIP report regarding waterfowl hunters trespassing and hunting on a property without a permit. Stennett was assisted by CO Arnaud Kpachavi and COC Emma Wehking on the call. Officers located a group of juveniles who had entered the property without a permit to hunt geese. The group also addressed several other violations.

Health Commissioner Keith Bertram (Long Prairie) spent a week checking on hunters targeting geese and small game. Enforcement action has been taken for licensing violations. An investigation is underway into a complaint about a partially submerged boat.

NOTE: This article does not include reports from every county that issued a report. It is a compilation of selected reports from five counties in our area.